Ok so all you guys own st.croix I’m guessing but honestly the best rod out there are the ugly stik elites or Shakespeare crusader the reels are ok but the rods I like the best.Anyways I’m thinking about rods and just thought I put it out there that ugly stiks and Shakespeare’s are good to.my thinking decent price and more to upgrades and gas lol lots and lots of gas lol
To each his own.
High quality rods are truly a joy to fish with.
Which must be true but would u rather have a 175$ rod or extra cash for other things.
Hypothetically or in my case?
I’ve got a rod locker full of expensive sticks. Not too hard up for gas money either.
In your case, you need time on the water more than you need any special gear or fancy equipment.
Very true and I sit here on minimum wage lol
The best thing about an ugly stick is that are cheap and don’t break easily. However they lack the sensitivity needed when jigging and jerk baiting when one has to sense that gentle tap or slight increase in weight. A fast action St. Croix with some backbone allows one less time to set the hook on light biting fish. My 2 cents. I believe they provide me more of a sense as to what is going on at the other end of the my rod tip, the bait end. BTW St Croix has no monopoly on quality rods. If you wait for sales you can purchase high quality rods for as low as $80.
the higher end rods have improved feel and weight characteristics ,you won’t get as fatigued in a long day of fishing,so you will catch more fish!
Stan 
the higher end rods have improved feel and weight characteristics ,you won’t get as fatigued in a long day of fishing,so you will catch more fish!
Stan
This is not necessary true. If you are fishing for bass and panfish the baits are light weight and you can throw them all day effortlessly.
However if you are throwing jerkbaits – glidebiats for toothy critters no matter how good the rod is you will feel some fatigue by days end due to the weight of the baits.
Cheers,
Just gotta hit the gym in the winter lol walk in be like im training for opener lol
I do have some St. Croix’s from the Mojo series to the Extremes. I slowly built up to the Extremes. I have more of them than any other series. One of the reasons I buy them is their warranty. I was sick of breaking $100-$150 rods and having to buy a new victim. If I break an Extreme, at most it will cost me $75.00 to replace. A few I have received for just the cost of shipping the broken rod to St. Croix. I do have two G Loomis rods. One casting and one spinning. They are my favorite rods!
I don’t suggest you go and break the bank on a rod for every presentation as I simply don’t think you need the most sensitive rods for every situation.
FDR
At somepoint soon I will have one for each
Dragging
Bottom bounce
Pitching cranks and blades
Plastics
Lindy rigging
2trollers
I have a 7ft crusader combo that I use for pitching medium and a elite 6.6 for bottom a 6.6 bait caster for 3 way
“What’s wrong with a ugly stik”
Back in the day some of the girls I took home were hit to hard with it! 
Coca cola is better
I used nothing but ugly stiks when I was growing up, I think they make great trolling or bobber rods.
I wouldn’t reach for one when pitching jigs or pulling lindys I don’t think.
Do you need a $400+ rod? No. But there is a lot of room in between an ugly stik and a st. croix legend extreme. In certain applications I absolutely think a more sensitive rod built with that application in mind will catch more fish than an ugly stik. Not EVERY application, but some.
Gabriel, I’m guessing you haven’t used a high end rod for pitching or jigging.
A good friend of mine sold a pile of $350.00 rods by placing them in their hand and letting them try it on the water. When they came back from fishing most dropped their credit card on the desk while others came back later and did the same.
Most people would say a cat fishing guy (like me) doesn’t need a sensitive much less expensive high end rod. When I can pick my rod up out of the holder and tell if there’s debris on the line or in many cases, if the cut bait is still on the hook it leads to the bait being in the water longer. It’s hard to catch fish without bait being in the water. 
In the spring when looking for locations, leaving the hook off and just casting the sinker to locations works like my eyes. I can tell what the bottom is made of…leaves, mud or sand.
I should mention I’m using braided line to carry the vibrations to the rod and ultimately to my hand.
Back in the ’60’s-70’s there were many that said air conditioning in a car wasn’t worth the money. Once a person had a car with air conditioning, they wouldn’t be with out it…with or without the car still drives great down the road w/o air.
After saying all of that there is a place for inexpensive rods, reels and a 5 gallon bucket to sit on. I’ve had some great memories while fishing when I couldn’t afford that bucket.
I like a rod so sensitive you don’t so much feel every little tick, slide and bump, you hear it.
In the spring when looking for locations, leaving the hook off and just casting the sinker to locations works like my eyes. I can tell what the bottom is made of…leaves, mud or sand.
Still haven’t learned how to read your electronics? 
Still haven’t learned how to read your electronics?
I don’t like to take unnecessary chances getting that close to snags..more so in fast, spring time water.
It’s much more safe to anchor and use the rod/sinker. Kinda like standing up in the boat and watching for under water wood I guess. Did you get new sunglasses and cell phone yet?
The industry has evolved into having superior equipment for each technique. Glass rods have a purpose and still fill a wide variety of applications. Brian pointed out some good points as well as others. $$$$ doesn’t make the rod good for everything. But when applying the right rod to a specific technique, you have value. If your pitching jigs, blades, flipping bass jigs, or tossing cranks for 10, 12, 16 hours….nothing will top the lightest weight of high end rods. For trolling, bobbers, and most live bait applications, glass is a great option
I used uglys for a while as well, thought they were descent. Lately I’ve been getting the cabelas tourney trail rods, huge upgrade in sensitivity from the ugly stick. If you watch cabelas for sales you can get them for not a whole lot more than an ugly stick. Are they on the same level as st croix, no, bit I’m too cheap to drop that kind of dough on a rod even if they are better. But then Im about as finesse as a bear in breeding season.
It’s much more safe to anchor and use the rod/sinker. Kinda like standing up in the boat and watching for under water wood I guess. Did you get new sunglasses and cell phone yet?
It was a hat…just a hat. That and a pair of undies. Oh, and some of what little pride I had.
You know how they say that graphite rods don’t get softer after years of fishing, well apparently some do and some don’t. Must have something to do with the bonding resin.
For value and performance, Shakespeare is pretty much at the top of my list. That and Zebco was what I started with.
As slip bobber fishing, I would say that a sensitive rod is my preferential method. Not only would I just feel the bobber, but I can feel my lure working up and down the water column. How many times does one see someone yanking the rod and bobber but no hooked fish? A lot.
It’s true, high end rods are worth it. I didn’t really buy in until 5-6 years ago, and then 4 years ago I went to the HIGH end rods. I realize finances are tight, I understand very well…I did the whole College deal. Just enough money for beer, gas and shotgun shells. Even to get into the $100 range with a St. Croix Triumph or a Shimano Compre would be worth the investment without a doubt.
Gabe, my boat and shed are full of hi end St. Croix, and Loomis rods but I haven’t paid full price for any of them. Keep your eyes open at auctions rummage sales and pawn shops. I have paid as little as $20 for a $400 rod. Just this past week I stopped at a pile of stuff with a free sign on it. I took home a dozen rods including 3 good trolling rods and a custom crafted rod that is built on a Loomis blank. I also found a set of colt handgun grips that I sold on ebay for $227.50 this was in your home town by the way. Keep up the search and you will end up with an arsenal of good gear for very little cash
Fishing rods are like women. Do you really want one that will be happy with McDonalds every day?
Ok so all you guys own st.croix I’m guessing but honestly the best rod out there are the ugly stik elites or Shakespeare crusader the reels are ok but the rods I like the best.Anyways I’m thinking about rods and just thought I put it out there that ugly stiks and Shakespeare’s are good to.my thinking decent price and more to upgrades and gas lol lots and lots of gas lol
A Yugo, Ford Fiesta and a Chevy Vega will all transport you to work or school also. It’s what you want to use that makes the difference. (you likely aren’t old enough for the car references but some here will get it)
Sort of like your start to a thread about your boat…. “I recently bought a great boat that gets the job done so far. But I feel like I settled for one I could afford.”
Fishing is fishing, enjoy what you have, even more so if it allows you to afford to go fishing more often. If you choose to upgrade, enjoy it. There’s always going to bigger and better. Sort of a dumb thread… sure there’s a difference between rods, but if you have a few and are happy with them, don’t let what others have change that.
Fishing rods are like women. Do you really want one that will be happy with McDonalds every day?
So you are saying that fishing rods have discerning appetites???
Gabe,
right now gander has their vortex rods on sale for $20 online. I believe they are IM8 graphite rods. Originally $60 rods. I know your on a budget so this could be a good option to start collecting some decent graphite rods for dirt cheap.
If only they make a heavy power Ugly Stik, I’ll buy one.
Great saltwater rods. I would not think of using an expensive graphite rod in saltwater.
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